TOKYO (ANN/THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN) – In a stirring tribute to their earthquake-stricken region, young residents from Japan’s Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, have meticulously crafted a photomosaic using almost 2,000 images of the Noto Peninsula.
Completed on Monday, the mosaic portrays the resilience of the area, featuring the iconic phrase “Maketorarenja!!” (“Can’t lose!!”) in the local dialect.
Currently exhibited at Iida Elementary School’s gymnasium in the city, the artwork will later find a permanent home at Noto Airport in Wajima, honouring the spirit of perseverance amidst adversity.
Made from 1,974 photos, the photomosaic is 4.5 metres in length and 6 metres wide and depicts the peninsula in green using strong outlines over blue waves. The photos include children having fun by the sea and the soul-stirring Kiriko float festivals in the Noto region.
Five young people from Suzu planned the photomosaic. Starting in mid-March, they used social media and flyers to ask residents of six cities and towns in the region to provide them with photos of the local landscape taken before the quake. They were able to collect enough photos in about a week and began creating the work.
The final touch was added on Monday at the elementary school in the city, where 25 students from the fourth to sixth grade carefully glued about 300 of the photos on the fabric base. They were amazed when they looked at the completed work and shouted, “It’s Ishikawa Prefecture!” and “It’s great.”
Kai Mawaki, the leader of the planning group, said, “It has become a work that makes you recognize the good things about Noto, such as its beautiful landscape and relationships between people.” The 26-year-old who runs an auto body business added, “I hope this will make people think, ‘Young ones are working hard, too.’”
